DashboardCloud AdminReleases
blazeboard.co
Skip to content

Setup & hardware

Pair a Pi over Wi-Fi (BLE or captive portal)

Two ways to connect a new device: IMProv BLE from your phone, or the setup-mode captive portal.

6 min read· Updated 2026-04-18

If your Pi has no Ethernet and no pre-baked Wi-Fi credentials, it will enter setup mode after ~30 seconds without a network. Setup mode gives you two ways to provision Wi-Fi: a Bluetooth (BLE / IMProv) flow from your phone, or a captive-portal web page from the Pi’s own Wi-Fi access point. Both run at the same time, so use whichever is more convenient.

When setup mode runs

The orchestrator waits for a network for about 30 seconds after boot. If nothing comes up — no Ethernet carrier, no saved Wi-Fi — it enters setup mode automatically. You’ll see a splash on the TV with a QR code and the name of the Pi’s temporary access point.

Access point name
blazeboard-setup-XXXX
XXXX is the last four characters of the device ID — each Pi is uniquely named.
AP security
Open (no password)
The Pi doesn’t accept any secrets over this AP, so a password isn’t needed. The portal is purely a Wi-Fi-credentials picker.
Bandwidth
2.4 GHz only
The Pi’s setup-mode AP is always 2.4 GHz. You don’t need a 2.4 GHz phone — phones auto-negotiate.
Captive portal URL
http://192.168.4.1
Phones usually show the captive-portal prompt automatically when you join the AP.
BLE service
IMProv over Web Bluetooth
Same protocol used by ESPHome and Home Assistant devices.

Option A — BLE (from your phone)

Fastest on newer phones. Works in any Chromium-based browser that supports Web Bluetooth (iOS Safari is not supported — use Chrome or Edge on iOS, or any Android browser).

  1. 1
    Scan the QR code on the TV

    It opens https://www.improv-wifi.com in your browser.

  2. 2
    Tap “Connect device using Bluetooth”

    Your phone will list nearby IMProv devices. Pick the one matching your AP name (blazeboard-setup-XXXX).

  3. 3
    Enter your Wi-Fi network & password

    The page prompts for SSID and password. The Pi tries the credentials immediately — you’ll see success or failure inline.

  4. 4
    The Pi reboots and joins your network

    Setup mode shuts down automatically. The TV switches back to the normal Blazeboard boot screen.

Option B — Captive portal

Works on every phone and laptop regardless of browser. Slightly more steps than BLE, but more reliable.

  1. 1
    Join the Pi’s setup Wi-Fi network

    On your phone or laptop, pick the network named blazeboard-setup-XXXX. No password.

  2. 2
    Open the captive portal

    Most phones pop up the portal automatically. If yours doesn’t, open a browser and visit http://192.168.4.1. You’ll see a list of detected Wi-Fi networks.

  3. 3
    Pick your network and enter the password

    The Pi immediately tries the credentials. Success/failure reports inline.

  4. 4
    Reconnect your phone to your normal Wi-Fi

    Once the Pi joins your network, the setup AP disappears. Your phone will drop it automatically. Rejoin your store Wi-Fi.

Verifying the Pi is online

After the Pi reboots on your real network, one of three things happens:

  • The boot splash switches to the Blazeboard logo.
  • If you’ve already set up content, the menu appears on the TV within a few seconds.
  • From any device on the same network, visit http://blazeboard.local:43100/login to reach the admin UI.

On the cloud dashboard at blazeboard.co/dashboard/devices, the device’s heartbeat chip should turn green within a minute. Green = seen in the last 90 seconds; yellow = 90 s to 5 minutes; red = more than 5 minutes offline.

Pairing a Player to your Server

A Player Kit is a second Pi that adds another display. Players are paired to your Server via a short-lived code, so you don’t need separate logins or a separate cloud setup.

  1. 1
    Power on the Player

    Go through the Wi-Fi setup above if needed. Once online, unpaired Pis show a rotating 6-digit pairing code on their TV.

  2. 2
    Claim the code from your Server

    Open Admin → Players → Pair on your Server. Two tabs: Auto-discover lists Pis it has seen via mDNS; Enter Code lets you type the 6-digit code by hand (use this on networks that block mDNS).

  3. 3
    Assign a screen

    Once paired, the Player shows up under Admin → Players. Assign it a screen (with a sequence attached) and you’re done.

Known limits & gotchas

ThingSupported?Why
5 GHz Wi-Fi for the setup APNo — 2.4 GHz onlySetup AP is fixed at 2.4 GHz for maximum device compatibility. Your real Wi-Fi network can of course be 5 GHz or dual-band.
Hidden SSIDsNoThe Wi-Fi scanner only shows broadcast SSIDs. Temporarily un-hide your SSID for setup, then re-hide it if you want.
Captive portal from corporate Wi-FiYesOnce setup credentials are saved, the Pi uses your real network. Corporate captive portals (hotel Wi-Fi, etc.) won’t work for long-term use because Blazeboard can’t submit a login form.
802.1X / RADIUS / WPA-EnterpriseNoOnly WPA2-PSK and WPA3-PSK are supported. Use a dedicated IoT/guest SSID instead.
iOS Safari Web BluetoothNo — use captive portaliOS Safari doesn’t expose Web Bluetooth. Chrome/Edge on iOS work.

Troubleshooting

  • The AP never appears. The Pi won’t enter setup mode if it thinks Ethernet is plugged in. Unplug the Ethernet cable and reboot.
  • I entered the wrong password. The Pi will return to setup mode after a minute if the Wi-Fi handshake fails. Rejoin the AP and try again.
  • BLE shows the device but connection fails. Close the phone-browser tab, move the phone within a few feet of the Pi, and retry. If it still fails, use the captive portal (Option B) — Wi-Fi AP is independent of BLE and will still be running.
  • My network uses 5 GHz only. Create a 2.4 GHz guest network temporarily, just to get the Pi online. Once provisioned, you can move it back to your 5 GHz network (change creds from Admin → System → Device).
  • Still stuck? Open a ticket — include a photo of the TV splash and we can usually spot the issue in one round-trip.